, 1887-06-23
TIE vows OF LUDWIG
TRAGIC ENDING OF A STRANGE MA
MA OF eAvARiAN MAIDENS.

Two Young BRronesses Commit Suicide
at the Very Spot Where the Mad King
HImseIf-HIstory of n Pecu-
liar Mania
A curious feminine mania is called to
mind by the recent tragic news from Mu-
Mich. Two young ladies of that city
bnrOnesses-have committed suicide by
drowning in the Starnberg lake, ut the
very spot where the mad King Louis
drowned himself last year. The names
Of these ladies' are familiar to all who
have been admitted to the best Munich
society. They were sisters, aged 20 and
20, and were famed for their beauty.
Their family is a very noblo and wealthy
one. The mania to which they fell vic
tins had its origin fifteen or sixteen years
ago. The young king was then ut the
height of his romantic fame. His ideally
handsome ikene was to be seen every
where, and everywhere you heard talk Of
his poetic melancholy, his romantic spirit,
and his confirmed celibacy. Naturally he
became an object of intense interest to
sentimental young ladies.
SILLY L
Presently, among the other absurd tales
that were told of him, there went abroad
the story that be spent most of his tins
III MAuOeI ms tsDOuL uS lnBuOm III us
guise. He haunted shady lanes and ro-
mantle spots, seeking for some fair maiden
who should be his chosen bride. Well,
this silly tale was believed and set thou
sands of hearts to fluttering. Each maiden
wondered If she would be his choice IL he
CHANGED to meet her under tho lime trees.
And she hesitated to plight her troth to
her village lover until she should haye had
q chance to meet the King.
So it came to pass that in the village of
Bertoldshofen, In the romantic mountain
region Of southern Bavaria, the maidens
formed themselves Into Il sort Of sister
hood. They pledged themselves to each
other not to marry until they were sure
the king had passed them by. Each was
to wear his likeness constantly near her
bosom, and each was to choose for herself
n secret W where at eyentide she
should nwuit his coming. A more silly
scheme, probably, never was devised
by the silly brains Of love sick school girls.
But moro than o score of Bertoldshofen
maidens entered into it with the zeal and de-
votion Of nuns. The fame of this sisterhood
spread to other villages, to towns, and
cities-nay, to Munich itself. Rustic
wenches n the petted beauties of p~rincely
palaces alike caught the mad disease.
Within u year not less than 10, 900 young
women, all through Bavaria, had taken
upon themselves the "vows of Ludwigr
aud were waiting for their king.
Rec FROM THEIR VOWS.
In time many Of these girls imagined
they had been seen and passed by by the
king, and, thus freed from their vows, ac-
cepted number husbands. Others grew
tired Of waiting and broke their vows.
Still others waited and waited in vain,
until all other suitors had passed them by;
and they are waiting still and will be
waiting all their lives. But as the ranks
of the original sisterhoods were thinned
new recruits were added, and ''the brides
OF Ludwig" were still counted by thou
sands. 1t is estimated that there were no
less han 1000 of them Mt the time of his
suicide. When the news of that tragedy
became known they forthwith put on
mourning and called themselves "the wild
ows of Ludwig" Many of them tool; sol
emn vows Of life long %celibacy, as Il token
of faithfulness to his memory.
Among these latter two of the most de-
voted were tho young harnesses of Mu-
mich TO whom we nave referred. They
constantly wore the deepest mourning,
secluded themselves from all social pleas
ures, and drove themselves into confirmed
melancholy. Every week they went to
Starnberg and threw garlands of flowers
nto the water at the very spot where the
king was drowned. Finally they deter
mined to share his fate. They arraycd
Themselves rs brides, even to DOMINIC
wells and orange blossoms, rowed out into
the lake to the spot where he was drowned,
and threw themselves into the water.
Their bodies were found next day, claspcd
in each others arms, and with portraits
OF the mad king next their hearts.-Pari0
Cor. Chicago Tribune.